Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the cost of extending BreastCheck to women aged 65 to 70 nationwide is €7 million; if she will provide additional resources to BreastCheck to enable them to implement this extension in tandem with the roll out of BreastCheck to the western and southern regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43494/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I am committed to ensuring that the BreastCheck service is rolled out to the remaining regions in the country as quickly as possible. I have approved additional revenue funding of €8 million for 2007 to meet the additional costs involved, bringing BreastCheck's revenue budget to €21.7 million in 2007. I have also made available an additional €26.7 million capital funding to BreastCheck for the construction of two new clinical units, five additional mobile units and the provision of state of the art digital equipment. I am pleased that screening will commence in the South and West in the Spring of next year.

When the national roll-out of the programme is sufficiently developed and it is assured that a quality service is being delivered at national level, consideration will be given to including older women and thereby continuing the screening of women in the programme who have reached 65 years of age. Any woman irrespective of her age or residence who has immediate concerns or symptoms should contact her GP who, where appropriate, will refer her to the services in her area.